New Soundbites: Passion Pit: Manners – Album of the Week

Passion Pit: Manners – Album of the WeekSony Columbia/French Kiss
Timing is everything. And right now Passion Pit couldn’t have timed it better.
The start of sunny days, blissed out, pink sky nights. Manners is our summer soundtrack.
Similar in vibe to last year’s finest pop record, Friendly Fires, the Cambridge, Massachusetts quintet specialise in 80s-tinged, crystal-cut euphoria which works dually as music to get fucked to, or as crash out music when you’re fucked up.
Behind layers of lush synthetics and crisp bubbly beats each of the 11 tracks is in essence a simple, compelling melody bringing gift-wrapped smiles and welcoming hugs.
Building on the success of their charmingly innocent, yet under-nourished debut EP Chunk of Change, Manners ramps up the production, throwing on kids-in-the-playground shoutouts (see the ecstatic Little Secrets) and stomping, thrust to the fore lazer-guided keys (Sleepyhead) which is redolent of the Go! Team gone Stateside.
Indeed, Manners couldn’t be more yanky-doodly-dandy if it came with stars & stripes cover art; there’s Jeremy Enigk‘s pre-puberty girlie vocals, the overly impassioned lyrics (‘You come beating like moth’s wings. Spastic and violently, whipping me into a storm,’ – Moth’s Wings) and hearty, emotive key changes but to deny their pop brilliance would be borderline insanity.
Recent single The Reeling will have you climbing up your bedroom walls, let alone those down the club, Make Light has all the subtlety of Jeremy Kyle but unleashes a bombastic rush of unstoppable electro magic while Swimming In The Flood creeps up with choking violins and diamond-encrusted piano before splurging into a chorus dripping with horny delight.
It’s too early to declare Manners pop record of 09 – it’ll certainly take some beating – but for now it’s blistering, belting and burning this summer disco down.
Let’s get wet!8.5/10For fans of: Sherbet dib dabs, Hot Chip, the Bratpack.